Naomi, who lives with husband Shane, son Charlie, five, and two step-sons, Lewis, 16, and 12-year-old Jake, said: “It does look like someone’s looked after it. I suppose you never know why someone’s done it.

“We did try to have a look and we think it’s a girl, but we’re not sure.

“It had some carrots and lettuce leaves and a water bottle in the cage.

“It’s a lovely tame little thing. I had it sat on my knee all last night.

“I’ve got a little Papillon dog, Leo, and he hasn’t left its side, which makes me wonder if it might be pregnant or something, if he feels he needs to protect it.

“I’ve bought it some proper food and some treats.”

The mum, who’s worked at the garden centre for around nine years, said she had only seen one other incident like it in that time.

She said: “A few months ago somebody dumped a cat and a couple of kittens in a box in the porch. I think they’d tried to take them to the RSPCA but had been turned away.”

Naomi with son Jake as he feeds the rabbit a carrot

She said she would take care of the rabbit for the time being, but would be looking for a good permanent home for it, as she already has her hands full with the children, dog Leo, cat Felix, and new kitten Minx.

She added: “I hope whoever abandoned it sees the story. I could never leave my pets like that, you don’t know who’s going to get them. It’s really sad. Pets are part of the family aren’t they?”

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said those running the nearby Great Ayton centre were not aware of anyone having tried to bring in a rabbit over previous days.

But they said all of their rabbit pods are currently full - and with a country-wide problem rehoming rabbits, they are already having to use private boarders as they struggle for space.

She said: “One rabbit was rehomed today but two more were taken in to the centre by inspectors. It takes on average 51 days for us to rehome a rabbit - longer than both cats and dogs.

“We rely completely on donations from the public and receive no Government funding to help us cope with the demand.”

She said the centres have to prioritise animals taken in by inspectors - ones which have been victims of cruelty or neglect, and that they cannot help members of the public simply wanting to give up pets. However, she stressed that no one is simply turned away, and that lists of local charities are handed out.